According to AlamogordoTownNews.org, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector agents from the Las Cruces Station made a routine inspection at the Interstate-25 checkpoint on Sunday and discovered 37 undocumented migrants hidden inside a tractor-trailer.
Agents conducting the inspection heard movement near the rear door of the trailer and saw individuals trying to crouch behind the freight. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that 37 migrants were hiding inside the cargo trailer without proper documentation.
The authorities apprehended and detained migrants from different countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, and Ecuador. They were then transported to the Central Processing Center for further processing under Title 8 authority.
In Fiscal Year 2024, El Paso Sector Agents intervened in 24 instances of tractor trailer smuggling, leading to the discovery of 387 migrants. As we enter Fiscal Year 2025, El Paso Sector Agents have already thwarted four major cases of tractor trailer smuggling, resulting in the apprehension of 97 undocumented migrants.
The El Paso Sector Border Patrol frequently encounters smuggling methods employed by transnational criminal organizations, which involve hiding migrants in commercial vehicles. However, smuggling large groups in tractor trailers presents significant risks due to the absence of proper safety precautions. Migrants are frequently cramped into limited spaces without seat belts, sufficient ventilation, or climate control, exposing them to dangerously high temperatures during the summer and freezing conditions in the winter.
“Smuggling organizations exploit migrants with false promises of safe passage and easy entry, but illegal entry into the United States often involves tactics that not only violate U.S. immigration laws but also endanger lives,” said El Paso Sector Chief Anthony Scott Good. “We remain focused on enforcing immigration laws, holding smugglers accountable, and applying consequences to those who cross the border illegally or attempt to circumvent the legal immigration process.”